New course attracting tech students

Youth & Careers

By JIMMY KALEBE
GARMENT-making, a new course at a technical school in Morobe, is attracting a lot of interest from school leavers.
Last Friday, 14 students, among them two boys, graduated with a certificate in garment making during the school’s 23rd graduation.
The European Union funded much of the school’s infrastructure and programmes. Most of its students are grade eight leavers.
Instructor Veronica Duke said students taking up the course were supposed to be doing grade nine and 10 subjects through flexible open distance education but because the materials were not available, they took up garment making.
Duke said the students were keen to learn and that showed when they sewed the shirts and dresses they wore on graduation day.
The course is supported by the provincial government which supplied the school with eight sewing machines and six rolls of material.
It is understood that the course will be upgraded with facilities and equipment under EU funding next year, together with other courses and infrastructure at the school.
Duke pointed out that the course will be able to give students the knowledge and skills required by the garment industry provided that they are able to use industry-rated machines during their studies.
Right now, there are no industrial sewing machines for students to get hands-on experience.
“Sewing is a skill that has to be mastered by all regardless of your profession or who you are – male or female,” she said.